Dry-cell terminal



Au 19, 1930. H, w, JNES T AL 1,773,310

' DRY CELL TERMINAL Filed Aug. 16, 1924 F zyfl. JV

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r Patented Aug. 19, 1930 I UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE HOMER W. JONES, OF JACKSON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, .A ND CART; H. STROHL, OF FRE- MONT, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK DRY-CELL TERMINAL Application filed August 16, 1924. Serial No. 732,350.

down, and after having been tightened is very often loosened and even disconnected by sidewise movement of the outer part of the wire, which loosens or unscrews the binding nut because of the frictional contact between the latter and the wire.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide aterminal of the above type that shall have means to overcome the objections mentioned and yet require but little change in the equipment for manufacturing and appllying the type of terminal heretofore use The above and other objects and the novel features of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which 'Fig. 1 is a sectional view illustrating this invention applied to a dry cell;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional views of terminals embodying this invention;

Figs. 4; and 5 are, respectively, a side elevationi-iof an improved terminal, showing a wire secured thereto; and a top view of the 7 same, with the binding nut removed but the port centrally with respect to a binding surposition of its lower outer edge shown in dotted lines; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are mutilated perspect ve views of parts of other terminals embodying this invention.

Broadly speaking, the invent on comprlses an externally threaded terminal post rigidly secured to a dry cell electrode 'or similar supface or shoulder having a row of separated humps or raised portions extending around such post,. and an internally threaded nut adjustable on the threaded post to clamp a wire against the binding surface a nd'between any two adjoining humps. The clamping face of the nut is preferably ofthe same or greater diameter than the rovs of humps so that it Will clamp the wire against the surfaces between the humps, as well as outside the row of humps, and thereby prevent loosening of the wire even when its unclamped part is raised and swung in a direction circumferentially of the post. v

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the invention is illustrated as applied to an electric cell, such as a dry cell A having the usual central carbon electrode and a cylindrical container electrode Z of zinc, respectively having the positive and negative terminals P and N secured thereto.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the positive terminal may consist of a brass dowel orpost D having a longitudinally ribbed part 10 at its lower end that is rigidly embedded in a central hole in the end C of the electrode C. The other or outer end of thepost D may be threaded, as at 11, to fit the threaded opening 12 in the nut E which is thus adjustable on the post to bind a conductor or wire thereto.

The post D carries a binding surface perpendicular to its axis, with which the lower end of the nut E is adapted to cooperate to clamp a conductor to the terminal and in circuit with said post. may be formed integral with the post between the ribbed and threaded parts thereof, which serves as a support for the sheet brass cap K, the top part 14 of which is disposed opposite the end of the carbon C and provides the binding surface that cooperates with the lower edge 15 of the nut E to'clamp a wire to the terminal. The threaded part 11 of the post projects through an aperture 16in the top 14 so that the cap may. rest directly upon the shoulder 13. The cap may also have a flange 17 which may or may not engage the end C of the electrode C, the seal A adhering to the outer surface of the cap and assisting to holdit in fixed position against rotation around the post D. The top 14 may also be soldered or otherwise secured to the post.

To prevent lateral movement of the secured portion of a wire that is clamped against the top surface l i by the nut E, a circular row of separated 'projections, such as the raised portions or rounded humps H, is provided on the outer face of the top 14. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, such projections or humps H may be formed in the top 14 by stamping them outwardly in the same stamping operation heretofore required in forming such caps, so that no appreciable additional expense is involved in providing such humps.

The circular row of humps is desirably so located that the outer marginal portion of the bottom or clamping face of the nut will project over and preferably extend a distance outside the row of humps so that the conductor will be held against the surface between any two adjoining humps and, in the preferred construction. will ,also be clamped between the top 14 and the nut part 15 outside the row of humps. The clamping face of the nut is desirably recessed within its margin, as at R, to receive the upper ends of the humps.

The negative terminal N embodies the principles of this invention but differs somewhat from the construction of the terminal P in that its base B and threaded post 11 are formed in one piece, as by means of suitable dies. The base B has a slot 18 adapted to receive the upper edge of the zinc electrode Z to which base B may be rigidly united, as by soldering. The externally threaded post a 11 rises from the center of the top or clampmg surface 14 of the base, and a circular row of raised portions or humps H is formed integrally with said base on the top thereof at a distance inside its outer edge and extends around the post 11'. The nut E is adapted to cooperate with the surface 14 and humps Hto clamp a wire IV, as already described, and as better illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

The construction and operation of the negative terminal N shown in Fig. 2 are substantially the same as those of the terminal N, except that the hump-receiving recess R in the clamping face of the nut E is an annu lar groove rather than a conical recess.

Iii-some forms of the improved terminal, the raised portions may be arranged along the peripheral edge of'the clamping surface. In the caps K and K shown in Figs. 6 and 7 for example, the separated humps H. are struck up along the margin ofthe clamping surface 14 and are elongated radially to provide comparatively long notches between them. A nut having a flat or a recessed clamping surface is adapted to cooperate with the surface 14 and the humps H to clamp a wire against the surface in the space between any two adjoining humps. In some instances, the diameter of the clamping face of the nut may be less than that of the row of humps, but it generally better that such' clamping face shall be of a diameter to at least partially and preferably completely overlap and, in some cases, even extend outside the humps, so that the conductor will be held more securely. For some purposes, the flanges 17 and 17 of the caps shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 6 may be omitted to provide a cap plate or washer similar to the stamped plate K" shown in Fig. 7, in which the humps may be arranged as shown in Fig. 6, but preferably nearer the center, as in Figs. 1 and 3. Such cap plate member I may be soldered or otherwise rigidly united to an electrode or to its terminal post to provide a clamping surface for the binding nut on such post.

Some of the improvements disclosed herein may be employed in other types of electric circuit terminals and various minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention.

We claim:

1. In a. dry cell, the combination of an electrode; a sheet metal cap having a top part disposed opposite the end of said electrode and a flange part at the rim of said top part; an externally threaded terminal post disposed centrally of said top part; said top part having a row of separated outward projections stamped therein at a distance within its outer edge and extending around said post; and an internall threadednut having a part adapted to overlap said projections and adjustable on said post to clamp a wire between any two adjoining projections and against said top outside said row of projections.

2. A wire holding terminal comprising a clamping surface; an externally threaded post rising from said surface; an internally threaded nut adjustable on said post and having a recessed face opposed'to said surface;

and a plurality of humps rising from said surface at a distance within the periphery of the latter and within the periphery of said nut, said humps being adapted to project into the recessed portion of such face, said nut being adapted to clamp a wire between any two adjoining humps and against said surface outside said humps.

3. A wire holding terminal comprising a clamping surface; an externally threaded post'rising from said surface; a nut, having a threaded openin therethrough, on said post, said opening being enlarged to form a recess in the face of the nut opposite said surface; and a circular row of humps integral'with said surface and rising therefrom and adapted to project into the recess in the nut, said humps being disposed relatively close together to confine a wire therebetween.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signa- HOMER W. JONES. CARL H. STROHL.

'tures. 

